Riverbend Reunion(45)

“Yes, ma’am, I would love to borrow it,” Daisy answered.

“And I’ve got a pale blue gingham checkered sundress that comes to my ankles.” Haley turned to focus on Lily. “It’s got a stretchy top, and it would probably hit you at the knees, if you want to wear it.”

“You bet, and thank you,” Lily said. “Is that all right with you, Mama?”

“Of course it is.” Risa managed a smile, but all the while she was regretting that her girls had to have two ultra-strict, overly religious grandmothers. They should be allowed to explore their own personalities.

Don’t be so tough on yourself, the voice in her head scolded. Growing up in the shadow of Stella, then marrying right into another family that was just as bad, you didn’t have much of a role model for raising daughters, but you’re on the right track now.



Mary Nell was sound asleep when her cell phone rang that morning. She groaned, rolled over, and grumbled, “Twice in one morning when this is the only day that I get to sleep in.”

“This had better be a life-and-death situation,” she said as she hit the “Answer” button without even looking to see who was calling.

“It is,” her father said. “You’ve got one hour to crawl out of that bed, get dressed, grab a bite of breakfast, and go with me to church so we can support Risa and those two sweet girls of hers. If you had married Danny right out of high school, I could have granddaughters their age to help.”

“Okay, Daddy.” Mary Nell brushed her red hair out of her face and sat up in bed. “I can’t go back and undo what I did or didn’t do, but isn’t it nice that Risa is willing to share her girls with us? I would love a cup of hot tea after I’m out of the shower and dressed. I can’t believe you are going to church. You haven’t been since Mama passed away.”

“Me and Wade are both mad at God for taking our loved ones away from us and leaving Stella Sullivan on the earth, but I’m not about to let those precious girls face off with that old witch without some backup today,” Oscar said. “I’ll put the teakettle on for your tea. Don’t waste time primpin’. You’re beautiful just the way you are.”

“Thanks, Daddy,” Mary Nell said and ended the call.

She stood under the hot shower as long as she dared and thought about what her father had said. Even though she hated to admit it, he was right. If she hadn’t let Kevin sweet-talk her into leaving college and moving to Nashville with him, she might have had a family by now. Just thinking those thoughts set her biological clock to ticking so loudly that she put her hands over her ears.

“Hush—I know how old I am and that I’m looking menopause in the eye.” She stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her body. She padded back to her room, shot the clock beside her bed a dirty look, got dressed in a sleeveless pale-blue dress, and twisted her curly hair up into a messy bun.

“Well, well, look at you all dolled up.” Oscar smiled from the kitchen chair where he was reading the Sunday paper and having what was probably his fourth or fifth cup of coffee.

“It’s a sacrifice, but I’d do anything for Risa,” Mary Nell said.

Oscar laid the paper aside. “Your tea has been steeping for five minutes.”

“Then it should be just right.” Mary Nell removed the tea towel from the top of the cup and tossed the tea bag into the trash. “I’ve got a confession, Daddy. I’ve been mad at God for taking Mama from us, just like you. And mad at myself for being so far away that I couldn’t spend more time with her there at the end. This will be the first time I’ll have been in church since she died, too.”

“I understand.” Oscar picked his newspaper back up and folded it neatly. “We needed someone to blame, and God is a good candidate, but maybe it’s time for all of us to realize that maybe God needed your mama in heaven.”

“He couldn’t need her more than we do.” Mary Nell sat down across from him at the table and pushed the paper over to one side. “You do know you can read the paper online these days?”

“Yep, but I can’t put a computer under a project when I’m painting like I can a newspaper or put my boots on a computer when I polish them,” he said with a grin.

“You got a point there.” Mary Nell’s earliest memory was watching her dad polish his work boots. She closed her eyes and could see the boots sitting on the newspaper and could almost smell the black polish that he used every night. From that her mind went to the last fight she had involving Kevin. He had gotten furious because she didn’t have his cowboy boots polished and ready for him to wear when he went to sign the contract for a record deal. He had told her that he damn sure didn’t need her in his life anymore, and she could pack up and be gone when he got back.

“I pay the rent and bills on this place,” she had told him. “What you bring in doesn’t even support all the demos that you are constantly making.”

“With my signing bonus, I don’t need you anymore. This apartment is in my name, anyway, and I’ll be moving to something bigger and better than this dump,” he’d yelled as he shoved his feet down into his unpolished boots.

“You can have your apartment,” she said through tears that she refused to let fall. “The rent is paid until the first of this month. I’m tired of you and of doing the work so you can chase the glory. I’m going home to Texas. Don’t write, don’t call, and don’t even think about following me when your so-called career winds up in the toilet.”